Holy Week Prayer
A few years ago I read the excerpt below from a sermon given by Anselm, Bishop of Canterbury (1034-1109) and it stirred me deeply. I reworded it slightly to turn it into a prayer. It is a wonderful meditation for Holy Week/Good Friday.
Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who condescended to die for Your flock, acknowledge me among your sheep and lead me to Your pasture. You who drank the bitter cup for me, enable me to share in your glory.
Your punishments torture my conscience and Your torments my memory: for I fear to drink the potion You drank, the sins You bore where my sins. I, an obstinate slave, committed the crimes for which You were flogged, it was my deeds that were paid by You; my iniquity was the cause of Your death and my misdeeds brought about Your wounds; alas for my sins for which atonement had to be made by so bitter a death!
O unspeakable mercy!... that when satisfaction for guilt was owed by none but man and none but God was able to provide it, He showed His mercy by becoming man, and, though He owed nothing for Himself, paid our debt by dying for us... Behold how God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us.
O the grace of Him who does this!
O the holiness of that death!
O good Jesus!
O holy Jesus!
What shall I endure for You, what shall I endure for You who endured so long and so much for me?
The display of what You have done is the proof of Your love. What am I to do who am the unworthy recipient of this love?
How can I return this love?
Take what is Your own; do with Your servant what seems good to You... You gave yourself completely for me and my salvation is completely Your work. You bought my spirit for Yourself, You bought my body for Yourself, both are here to serve You. I am Yours in spirit and in body. O good Lord, what shall I render to You for such great blessings, I, a worthless slave and unprofitable servant?
Shall I rejoice or mourn because of Your death?
Indeed, I will do both. I will rejoice because of the grace of Him who delivered You up and because of the love of You who died. But first I will mourn over the cause of that death, that is, because of the consciousness of my sin, and I will mourn with Him who died.
If I do not rejoice, I am ungrateful; if I do not mourn, I am unfeeling.
